Allegri tells Juventus to use anger from Champions League final loss

Massimiliano Allegri has called on his Juventus team to channel the anger from their Champions League final defeat to Real Madrid in the new season.

Juventus get their campaign under way against Lazio in the Supercoppa Italiana on Sunday, having lost in Europe’s showpiece final two years out of the last three.

Allegri’s men won the Serie A and Coppa Italia double last season – beating Lazio in the final – but the coach told his players to be inspired by their loss to Madrid.

“I am a coach who tries to do as little damage as possible with the squad at my disposal,” Allegri, who had considered resigning after Juve’s defeat, told reporters on Saturday.

“I reflected to see if I still wanted to challenge myself and go forward. I thought this squad could start another important season.

“Juventus have won six Serie A titles in a row, reached the Champions League final twice in three years, won the Coppa Italia and Supercoppa.

“There is bitterness at losing the final, but we must focus on the satisfaction of reaching the final twice in three years, as Juve hadn’t been there in quite some time.

“A new season begins, we’re all on a level playing field. After the defeat in the Champions League final in Cardiff, we must use that anger to start the new campaign.

“We must be aware of our strengths and aware that it takes hard work day by day. The important thing is to be challenging for the Scudetto, Coppa Italia and Champions League in March.”

Juventus have handed striker Paulo Dybala the number 10 shirt ahead of the new campaign and goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon believes the Argentine deserves to follow the likes of Alessandro del Piero, Zinedine Zidane, Michel Platini, Roberto Baggio and Andrea Pirlo in wearing the shirt.

“I think giving Dybala the number 10 is a wonderful signal and it puts more responsibility on his shoulders,” Buffon said. “A talent like Dybala can honourably wear the number 10 for Juventus and I don’t know anyone else who could represent it better.

“We are happy and satisfied to be here playing another Supercoppa Italiana. I lived my life trying to take the positives from the negatives. I have a strange sense of euphoria and joy. Tomorrow is a new challenge and a very important test for us.

“I see the Juve defence much the same as other years [after Leonardo Bonucci’s sale to AC Milan], it’s strong and will as always be a point of strength for us.

“We have everything in place to play a great game, which is what the event demands. Aside from the opponent, who in recent years always struggled against us, they had difficulty because we always respected them.”